Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day to all! I hope the weather is beautiful for you wherever you are but that you enjoy the day even if it isn't.

Don't forget there are eco options for all your picnic needs. Try using reusable dishes for your social gatherings. When that isn't practical, Marcal makes paper products out of recycled materials. Whenever possible, use foil instead of plastic wrap because you can recycle the foil. Reynold's now has foil made of recycled materials. Compost any veggie scraps you may have after making those salads and kabobs.

Whatever your plans, enjoy the company of family and friends!

A Visit to the Farmers' Market

Patrick and I made our first trip to the local farmers' market this year. The one we visit is held at the site where we got married, Rutgers Gardens. We hadn't been there since our wedding day eight months ago so it was nice to be back.

It's important to us to buy food from the farmers' market because the food is about as fresh as it can get, it's all grown locally and most of it is organic. Plus we're supporting local business and that is always a good thing.

What we scored:
Radishes
Asparagus
Strawberries
Oyster Mushrooms
Shitaki Mushrooms
Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Baby B's Name

We've decided to name Baby B:

Julian Patrick Belardo

Baby Registry Dilemma

Why is it that the common stores that we are forced to register at don't carry more eco-friendly options? Case in point Babies R Us. Patrick and I will be using cloth diapers on Baby B. It's a no brainer for us but apparently Babies R Us isn't on the up and up with our wishes. Sure, they sell prefolds, the old-fashioned kind my mom used on me, but there are so many great choices out there now. We want to use pocket diapers, specifically Bum Genius One-Size diapers.

Bum Genius has made cloth diapering almost as easy as disposable diapering. With their one-size diapers we can start off with a bunch of them and never have to buy another diaper because they fit babies from 7-35 pounds. Does Babies R Us sell them? Nope. So we've registered at Amazon.com because you can find just about anything on Amazon.com. Hopefully people will be as willing to shop Amazon.com as they are Babies R Us. There are many books and other goodies that we've been able to add to our Amazon.com registry that BRU doesn't have.

So to all mainstream stores - start stocking more eco options. Organic cotton clothing and BPA sippy cups aren't enough for a true green mama.

Could I Be Charged With Murder For Not Vaccinating My Child?

A recent episode of Law & Order SVU took on the great vaccine debate but, in my opinion, not in a very fair way. In this episode, a young child dies of Measles when she is exposed to the disease by a boy on a public playground. The girl who died was too young to receive the vaccine and the one who infected her was well past the recommended age to receive the MMR vaccine. The angry mother of the dead girl decided she wanted to press charges against the mom who didn't vaccinate her son.

While there are reasons to receive vaccines, there are strong arguments against them as well.

In the end, the non-vaccinating mom is found innocent but not after being made to feel like a monster and being accused of putting all children at risk. So who is at fault? Is anyone really at fault? I never get a Flu shot because the couple of years that I did it made me very sick. I'd rather risk getting the Flu naturally than give it to myself along with all the fillers in the vaccine. People are dying of Swine Flu. If a Swine Flu vaccine is out next year and I don't get it but I do get the Swine Flu and I pass it on to someone who happens to die, does that mean I killed them? I don't yet know what I plan to do about vaccinating our baby but I do know that I will, at the very least, delay them. So if our little boy gets the Measles and plays with the neighbor's child before he shows any symptoms and that child dies, am I a murderer? A MURDERER? I can see how people would be angry. That is a natural reaction but intellectually, how can anyone call a mother who makes an informed decision to delay or deny vaccines a murderer? These vaccines, themselves, come with risks INCLUDING death.

In my opinion, the government is stepping into our lives way too much. There are preschools who refuse enrollment to children who don't have the Chicken Pox vaccine or a current Flu shot. Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe new diseases like the Swine Flu are hitting us hard because we're making ourselves vulnerable to them with all the crap we put into our bodies? This is how superbugs come about.

What do you think?

I Still Rub Plants On My Face

It's been over a year since I blogged about rubbing plants on my face. That amazing Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Cream by Origins is some pretty awesome stuff. It keeps my skin hydrated without feeling oily. It's the first cream I've used consistently for so long without wanting to try anything else.

You can purchase this and many other natural products by Dr. Weil and Origins at any Origins counter or online. And don't let the price tag fool you. That little jar lasted me over a year. I just started my 2nd jar today. To have a natural product, free of the chemicals found in most standard face creams, that works and lasts so long is worth it in my book.

I should also mention that Origins is on a mission to save the earth. They promote the use of reusable bags and recyclable packaging and they often organize fundraisers such as planting a tree when certain purchases are made. Origins is good all around so check them out and give their products a try.

My Snoogle is My New BFF!

My amazingly wonderful husband, Patrick, got me a Snoogle for Mother's Day. For those of you who don't know, a Snoogle is a tube shaped body pillow with curved ends.

After about halfway through pregnancy, a woman should not sleep on her back. The weight of the uterus can put stress on a major vein that pumps blood to the heart and therefore not allow enough blood to the baby. To sleep comfortably on my side all night I had pillows all around me. I had two under my head and one on each side so that if I rolled from one side to the other I'd have a pillow to hug. I also had another pillow under my knee for support. With the Snoogle, I don't need ANY pillows. The top curves under my neck and head and the bottom curves up between my knees. And if I roll to the other side I don't have to turn the Snoogle because it's long enough that it curves around to the front of my body for me to snuggle up to. I sleep like a baby now.

I highly recommend the Snoogle to all pregnant women but also to EVERY human being. And to keep it green you can get one with an organic cotton cover!

Oh my gosh! I just saw that they make one for toddlers! How adorable!

Happy Mother's Day to All!

It's a Boy!!!

Patrick and I found out last night that we are having a BOY! Baby Boy B will be born in mid to late September. We are VERY excited, to say the least.